Asian Sports

Being home to sundry sports, Asia is known as the origin of so many sports which are now famous all over the world. Over the years, Asians have competed with other countries, through their national teams on an international level. They have gone on to produce the most outstanding players in various games. Here are the top 4 popular games played in Asian countries.

Polo

Polo is a sport which originated in central Asia between 6 BC and 1 AD, is played between two teams on a horseback. It is enjoyed by many Asian countries, including Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates and the Philippines. The main objective when playing polo is to score goals. The Shandur Top located in Chitral, Pakistan is the highest polo ground in Asia, measuring about 3700 meters.

Cricket

Did you know that India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have the highest test status in the world when it comes to cricket? This is one of the most popular games in Asia. In 1983, the Asia Cricket Council was formed, to oversee and promote the game across the continent. Moreover, they hold the Asia Cup after every two years, not only for competition but to also promote goodwill among the countries in the continent. The BCCI, which is the body governing cricket in India is known as the world’s richest organization.

Hockey

There are different variations of hockey, which is played by two teams, each trying to drive a ball to score goals. Field hockey is the most popular one in Asia, and it’s controlled by the Asian Hockey Federation. Did you know that this is the national game of India and Pakistan? The federation also oversees the game for thirty other countries, which include Japan, Bangladesh, Iran, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Korea and Pakistan.

Buzkashi

This sport, mostly played in central Asia involves players dragging goats while on a horseback. Carcasses of goats or calves are used. It was invented Turk Mongols. This is a nomadic tribe who came up with Buzkashi during their migration from the northeast to western Asia. This was between the 10th and 15th century. The aim is to get the goats towards the goal.

Buzkashi is quite a thrilling game, reason why its Afghanistan’s national sport. It’s also enjoyed in other countries such as Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.

There are other popular games in Asia which did not make the list. These include badminton, table tennis, swimming, and golf. All these are played at the Asiad, which is a multi-sport event for Asian countries held every four years. It’s considered the second biggest sporting event in the world, after the Olympics.…